The present invention relates generally to fireworks and, more particularly, to an aerial product having a built-in air brake that only deploys upon detonation of the product so as to create an air drag as the non-exploding part of the product returns to earth, thereby making the descent gentler than would otherwise be the case.
Some aerial fireworks products have a significant amount of non-exploding structure that returns to earth by gravity after the exploding part has detonated. See, for example, the products disclosed in my co-pending applications Ser. No. 09/482,579 filed Jan. 13, 2000 titled xe2x80x9cAerial Fireworks Productxe2x80x9d and Ser. No. 09/751,853 filed Dec. 29, 2000 titled xe2x80x9cAerial Fireworks Product having Synthetic Resinous Stabilizing Base.xe2x80x9d
The present invention relates to a simple, yet effective way of increasing the air drag on the non-exploding part of the product as it returns to earth so as to make the descent more gentle, while avoiding increased drag during launching of the device. The improvement is particularly well-suited for products of the type disclosed in my two earlier referenced applications, but is not limited to those particular types of products.
The present invention provides an air brake in the nature of a collar disposed in close proximity to the exploding part of the product, yet secured to the non-exploding part. The collar and exploding part are configured to provide an essentially streamlined exterior without significant air drag prior to detonation of the exploding part so as to avoid adversely affecting the flight characteristics of the product. When the exploding part detonates, the collar ruptures under the force of the explosion to produce petal or flap-like residue that remains attached to the non-exploding part to catch the air during descent and create increased drag. In its preferred form, the collar is constructed from built-up layers of paper sheets that are glued together to produce a wall thickness of approximately 0.040 inches.